


Natalya and the dragons

by ms_cataclysm



Series: Winterfair Gifts [2]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Gen, Kidfic, Mildly AU if you squint -see comments on first piece in series, Pre-Canon, offstage bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3108374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ms_cataclysm/pseuds/ms_cataclysm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Piotr's mother (Countess Natalya Vorkosigan nee Tallie Vormuir) takes tea with her dragon aunts and much vor gossip is shared and family friction suffered.</p>
<p>A missing scene from my short Xmas fic Piotr's Winterfair Gifts.<br/>It would help if you read it first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Natalya and the dragons

Natalya's visit from the dragon aunts does not start well. She has dressed with particular care and ordered that the expensive samovar service that the Emperor gave her as an engagement present be used. She has been down to the kitchens herself to check the refreshments for tea herself -nothing must be less than perfect or over elaborate . There are peaches and clementines from the Vormuir hothouses sent over by her father and the miniature cakes include both Vorkosigan and Vorkeres district recipes. Nothing must give the Aunts an excuse to upbraid her for extravagance or neglect. There is a discreet bottle of district cognac on the mantlepiece – Selig's contribution to the dragon taming effort. 

Despite these precautions, it is less than an hour before Natalya is goaded into blurting out that the commconsole was a gift. When she hesitates and blushes rather than naming the giver, the aunts know exactly whom to blame. It's not as if Barrayar is full of wealthy men with a penchant for exotic gadgets and galactic connections after all . The aunts are delighted to have an excuse to rake up all the old gossip about Prince Xav and Natalya . It is many years since Prince Xav's public pursuit of seventeen year old Tallie Vormuir amused and scandalised Vorbarra Sultana but the aunts have not forgotten one juicy little detail.

Aunt Xenia Vormuir is first into the attack. “How charming that busy Prince Xav should take so much trouble over Tallie's little Piotr.” she coos. “Has he seen much of the boy?”

Aunt Sonia Vorkeres is less subtle. “Natalya, how could you be so stupid? You do realise that everyone will assume that he has a particular reason for taking an interest in Piotr?”

Surprisingly, Aunt Tasha comes to Natalya's defence or perhaps she is just annoyed at her sister. “Sonia, Xav couldn't possibly be the father. The Emperor packed him off on another of his long galactic missions and he didn't get back for over a year.” 

Sonia is unimpressed. “The boy's small for his age . If people want to think he's Xav's, they'll assume Selig changed the birth records to protect his honour. And if they don't believe Piotr is Xav's, they'll be even more convinced that Xav's after Tallie again.”

“Is he after you, Tallie?” asked Aunt Xenia. 

Natalya shrugged her narrow shoulders. “ I doubt it.” 

She made herself pause and sipped her tea in a brave show of unconcern as if her honour and Selig's had not been challenged. 

“And?” rapped Aunt Genie Vormuir, breaking the silence. The other aunts frowned at her.

“Do go on, Natalya.” said Aunt Sonia.

Natalya took a further sip of tea before replying. “I don't think he was ever as interested in me as people thought . He was bored, I was new and people talked. If Emperor Dorca had not panicked and packed him off to Beta, I suspect his interest would have melted away in weeks. ” 

She paused to refresh the Aunts' cups and her own while she tried to find the simple, safe phrases and keep her inconvenient and confused feelings from boiling up to the surface. 

“Piotr was kind to the little Princesses at the funeral.” Natalya meant old Count Vorkosigan's funeral last year. “Their cou … some of the other children were bully ... teasing them and Piotr took the girls away and showed them the ponies. The commconsoles and the tutors were already on their way from Beta so the Prince simply decided to give one set to Piotr instead . ” 

There was another silence while the Aunts filled in the gaps . Gossip like Crown Prince Yuri's children got around, in spite of the frightened silences and careful euphemisms . The Vorkeres and Vormuir boys were thankfully the wrong age for playdates with the Vorbarra boys but others had been less fortunate. The Vorrutyer cousins appeared to have given as good as they had got ; Dono and Stefan had come home with cuts, bruises and an air of smug satisfaction. Little Lord Vorfolse had come home physically unmarked but had started to have nightmares and wet the bed. His father had had to take him out of military prep school and educate him at home. 

“Are the girls all right ?” asked Aunt Tasha. 

Natalya nodded. “ Piotr broke it up quite early and Master Esterhazy our arms master waylaid them and invited them to join the other men at weapons practice so they didn't follow them.” 

Master Esterhazy was famous for winning both the Junior and Senior All Barrayar fencing cups so it would be hard for any young vor blood to turn down his invitation . Master Esterhazy's subtlety was not limited to his bladework. He had singled out the little Princes to demonstrate foot work in front of the entire class and then showed them the private armoury and let them hold the two swords carried by the first Count Vorkosigan and the Vorfemme knife that the sixth Countess had used to defend her honour from the last Vorhartung emperor . 

“Will Piotr be all right?” asked Aunt Tasha. 

“I think so. If he hadn't sent little Martin off for his father before intervening though ...Master Esterhazy was most adroit. By the time he had finished, they were quite grateful to Piotr for relieving them of two little girls.” 

Aunt Genie reached across and patted her hand. “Better if people think your husband is a spendthrift” she said bluntly. “He should get you some decent jewellery for winterfair too. Expensive enough for people to talk about instead of Piotr's present.” 

Natalya smiled, thinking of the heap of useless galactic gem stones hidden in the old dungeons. “Oh that should present no problems at all.” 

“It would still be best if Piotr wasn't singled out . Could Prince Xav get hold of some more commconsoles quickly – I fear that your nephews and my grandsons may not be entirely delighted with their winterfair presents from me this year but they will just have to put up with galactic fripperies” said Aunt Sonia with a twist of her lip. 

“I shall consult Princess Maryam. I invited her and the girls to stay on for a riding holiday rather than going up to Vorbarra Sultana with Prince Xav. I can't believe that Olivia hadn't been on a horse before -she's nearly as mad about them as Piotr – I can hardly drag the two of them out of the stables and when I do they talk horse to each other for hours.” 

The Aunts exchanged glances . Natalya was almost sure there was a glint of approval in the dragon eyes. And what was that hideous expression on Aunt Genie's face -was she trying to smile at her? 

“Excellent. Never too early to think about the children's futures. And a hint in the right ears that Prince Xav is looking in that direction for Olivia should help scotch any rumours .” 

But she hadn't been matchmaking, she had just wanted to keep the little girls safely away from their cousins. Perhaps she had just wanted to keep the girls with her a little longer. Little Sonia was as sweet and pretty as a winterfair doll. Olivia was joyfully running wild, she could barely recognise the pasty miniature adult who had shaken her hand at the funeral in the bright eyed grubby girl seizing her last chance of childhood. Why do we have to make them grow up so fast? Piotr is eleven, Olivia is nine . The babas have come to look over Piotr every year since he was five – Olivia would have been spared that on Beta Colony but they would come flocking round her now -perhaps the babas would not bother if they thought that her father had already made a match for her. Or perhaps her foreign blood and Dorca's rather belated legitimisation of Xav would outweigh her Vorbarra birth and Xav's growing wealth – and they would stay away anyway. 

The thought did not comfort her and unthinkingly her hand stole down to the slight rounding of her stomach for reassurance. She loved Piotr and Alexander but maybe she would have a little girl of her own this time. Maybe her little girl would be able to choose for herself one day. 

The gesture did not escape the dragon aunts , who immediately began interrogating her on her pregnancy and offering her unwanted advice . The auntly approval certainly hadn't lasted long. But perhaps there was a warmer note in their voices , a little less impatience in their faces. 

It gave Natalya the strength to smile serenely and noncommittally rather than launching into an angry defence of Selig and her staff when the aunts suggested sending the prettier maids away to their other estates. She even found herself wondering if her aunts had suffered the humiliation of a straying husband during their own pregnancies -surely no husband would have dared ? Had her aunts once been young and unsure of themselves too ? Had they even suffered dragon aunts of their own? Or caught straying husbands in flagrante? Or cried themselves to sleep out of fear and jealousy ? She listened carefully to the aunts , listening for hints and clues to their own imperfect pasts in their words.

The aunts were flattered by her attention and congratulated themselves that Natalya was finally acquiring the social graces and decorum of a true vor matron . If they had realised the reason for her attention, they would have been less pleased but as it was the visit passed off smoothly . 

Selig turned up not fifteen minutes after the aunts had finally left. His curly hair was damp from the evening drizzle and he was giving a giggly, wriggly Sonia a piggy back. Olivia and Piotr followed behind each holding one of Alexander's hands as he toddled unsteadily between them. Every time they passed a puddle, he insisted on being swung over it and then running back to splash in it until Martin zoomed up behind and captured Alexander on piggy back . “Race you in” he called to Piotr but it was Olivia who was first through the door, her hazel eyes shining and her chestnut plaits flying. 

Natalya could not resist hugging her and to her surprise and delight the little girl hugged her back. 

“Why did you hug me ?” Olivia demanded. 

“Because you're such a darling and I'm so happy . Did you mind?”

“No, I liked it . I love being here but I miss having Daddy to hug me. ”

Then there was a lot of hugging . 

Natalya found herself making some very private wishes to Father Frost. 


End file.
